San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-08-12
OVERHAULING THE HORROR
CORONER'S JURY SITTING THE
CAUSE.
Supt. Armstrong Gives His Testi-
mony-Bridge in Good Con-
dillon Few Hours Be
fore Accident.

mony-Bridge in Good Con-
dillon Few Hours Be
fore Accident.
ASSOCIATED Press DIsPATCmEs.l
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Aug. l2.-The Times
special from Forest, Ill. says that cor
oner's inquest was begun last night.
There were present only the coroner,
jury, President Leonard, OF the Toledo,
Peoria and Western railway; Superin-
tendent Armstrong, OF same road; the
master Of bridges, Markley; Justice OF
the Peace, Estes, and several reporters
for the Chicago and Peoria papers. The
first witness called was Superintendent
Armstrong. He testified that he was on
the Inflated train, which consisted OF
six sleeping cars, two chair cars,
five passenger coaches, one special
car and one baggage car, drawn by
engine No. 3, engineer Il. McClintock,
fireman Applegreen, and engine No. u
Engineer Ed. Sutherland; engine -, was
next to the baggage car. The train left
Chats worth about 1l:40 Wednesday
night. After leaving he went into his own
car and sat there for three or four min
utes, when he felt fearful shock to the
train. The next instant the car passed
over the burning bridge. He was
thrown out of one of the windows
into hedge fence near the
right Of way. Steam was blowing off
from one Of the engines and hot water
was burning him. He got up and saw
the train dispatcher, w. A. Parker, OF
Peoria, and his wife caught in the bag
gage cars. Witness got the man loose
but could not get the woman out. She
was released later, however. Mrs. Gould
and daughter, wife of the auditor OF the
road, were occupying q state room In
the special car. He went to their
assistance and found them in
jured. He asked one Of the firemen where
the front engine was and was told
that Engineer Sutherland had gone to
Gilman for help. The engine came back
In about three quarters OF an hour with
doctors. The wounded were taken out
Of the wreck, where possible, and sent
seat. The bridge was only partly demol-
ished when witness first saw it, the
stringers at both ends having gone
down. Dirt and brush were thrown
on the flames. The engine set
fire to nothing and only one
car and Pullman sleeper were
slightly burned. Witness met Sec
ton foreman near the wreck after the
occurrence and latter said that he went
over the section at 8 p. m. Wednesday,
and there was no fire there then. Wit
ness had warned him to have the sec
ton hands go over the section after
quitting work, knowing that the excur-
sion train was going over the road that
night. No train went over the bridge
after $50 O'Clock Wednesday.
Witness counted the tickets before
reaching ChatswOrth and found that
fav ~
pie on the train. He said he believed
there we're only three or four dead per-
sons in Piper City. Witness did not
think it possible that any person could
have been so fiendish as to burn the
bridge. About one week ago the grass
along the right of way near the
bridge had been burned OFF. The
train was running he judged about thir-
ty-tive miles an hour at the time OF the
accident. Engineer Sutherland told him
that he saw very small blaze before
reaching the bridge, but thought it was
few leaves burning outside the track
The engineer also told him that he did
not see the fire until he got dire city over
the bridge and called for the brakes, but
ii was too late to avoid the accident.
Witness remained at the wreck until
O'Clock in the morning and saw
to the handling of bodies. He saw one
or two persons examining the pockets
OF the dead. He was Informed by those
making the search that 1t was their
relatives whom they were searching. If
he had any suspicion he would have
been disarmed by way in which the per-
sons making the search answered him.
He saw no one robbing the dead or
cutting of fingers from the dead
to secure rings. There was plen-
~ of help to get the bodies out OF
the wreck, valuable assistance being
rendered by the Chats worth fire com
pany. In corn field near the wreck he
heard a man calling Help, help!". Wit
meas went toward the scene and found a
man with his leg broken above the an
kle. The man asked him to turn his
toes down. Witness did so. and told
farmer boy, who came along with q
bucket OF water, to stay near this man
while witness went to the assistance
of others. In few minutes after
leaving him witnessed heard a shot,
and, turning back, found that a man
had shot himself in the forehead pro-
duOing instant death. The boy had
meanwhile gone away short distance
to give water to another wounded per-
son. Witness remembered having
noticed deceased trying to get some
thing out OF his pocket while witness
was turning his toes inward.
j. III. Markley, of bridges and
buildings Of Toledo, Peoria and
Wabash roads, testified that he
inspected the bridge on May last. 1t
was made Of two pile bents, four pilings
to each bent. Tt was fifteen feet long
and six feet high. Stringers, ties and
guardrails were put in fourteen months
ago. There was wall OF old tim bers at
each end of the bridge to keep up the
embankment. 1t was good. Witness
examined the bridge yesterday and
found nothing left but a part of the
partly burned curb and few pieces of
small timbers. The piles were burnt
of close to the ground, three or four OF
them sticking up two feet from the
ground. Witness thought that it would
take about two hours for such bridge
to burn. Two other bridges on the
road have been burnt this year but were
seen in time to prevent accidents. At
this point the inquest was adjourned
until today.
WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH THE BODIES.
CHATswoRTH, Ills, Aug. l2.-As to the
liability of the company, or the future
concern Of the road, the president,
Leonard could not say. The first thing
the officials will do will be to devote
their attention to the care Of the unfor-
tunate victims. 1t was a blow which
would OF course be most seriously felt,
but that was nothing compared with the
death and injury to human beings. Mr..
Leonard said he could in all
conscience say that he believed the
road has provided every reasonable and